"It's been a long time, Kaido."
Shano looked at Kaido and smiled, "Unfortunately, there's no time for reminiscing. As for making preparations and issuing a challenge? There's no need for that. Hasn't the war already begun?"
The war has already begun?
King and Quinn both paused, exchanged a glance, and a chill ran from their spines to the tops of their heads.
They hurried to the window, gazed into the distance, but the sea under the moonlight remained calm as usual, with no signs of enemy ships.
They listened intently but heard no sounds of shouting or cannon fire.
"Hmph, bluffing!"
Quinn wiped cold sweat from his forehead, sneering, "I told you, if your fleet had really infiltrated, why hasn't anyone come to report yet?"
"Wano Country is surrounded by natural fortifications, with waterfalls and cliffs making it easy to defend and hard to attack. Letting the fleet come up would be asking for trouble, wouldn't it?"
Shano glanced at him, casually saying, "The lives of my people are very precious; I wouldn't let them undertake such doomed sacrifices. Surrounding Wano Country from below and cleaning up the aftermath is more than enough."
"As for this war,"
In the suspicious and uncertain eyes of the few, Shano smiled and said, "If we count Ghost Island, Wano Country happens to have seven regions. So, I simply brought seven people along. That's enough, isn't it?"
Seven regions, seven people?
Quinn's eyes widened. If someone else had said that, he would have taunted them long ago. With only seven people, they hope to take Wano Country?
What a joke!
Wano Country is vast!
But if it were spoken by the Master of the End himself…
"Could it be…"
Quinn quickly realized something, cold sweat streaming down, "The seven people you mentioned, could it be?"
"There's no mistake."
King also turned pale, gritting his teeth, "After annexing the Whitebeard Pirates, the highest cadres of the Endgame now number exactly seven!"
Broo Broo!
Broo Broo!
Broo Broo!
As if to confirm his suspicion, the whole row of radio snails on the shelf suddenly burst into a series of urgent ringing!
...
"Kuri."
Residents of village after village, like Kasa village, Surrender town, and Boro town, either poked their heads out from windows or craned their necks on the streets.
"Hey! What's that!"
"By Amaterasu, are we seeing things?"
They stared in shock at the figure emitting a sacred light, suspended in mid-air in the dark of night.
Angewomon slightly lowered her head, the eight wings behind her spreading wide, the golden long bow glistening under the moonlight, her gaze indifferent as she looked down at the Hundred Beasts' camp below.
"By order of Lord Shano, taking over this place."
"Resisters, die."
...
"Ringo"
An eerie and peculiar northern graveyard, countless tombstones standing.
"The grave of former Daimyo of Wano Country, Shimotsuki Ushimaru."
"The grave of Shimotsuki Rikumine."
"The grave of legendary forging master, Shimotsuki... Adzuki."
Kuina's complex eyes swept across the names on those tombstones, then glanced at the Supreme Great Blade Sakura Yuki at her waist.
This is where the ancestors rest.
Shimotsuki Ushimaru seemed to be an ancestor very close to Zoro, that guy.
The way Wano Country has become, the souls sleeping underground probably wouldn't want to see it, right?
"Rest in peace, to all seniors and ancestors."
She spoke softly, then turned without looking back, walking towards the outskirts of the cemetery.
If remembered correctly, this area's southwest side has a large number of forces commanded by the Kurozumi family stationed, ready to mobilize towards the capital at any time.
It's still deep in the night now.
No matter, once dawn arrives, these guys will be cleared out, and Ringo shall greet a new dawn.
A true dawn.
...
"Udon"
In the prisoner quarry.
"Quick! Faster!"
"Gather up, don't let this guy get away!"
"Daring to come here alone, haha, don't you know this place is heavily guarded by Lord Kaido himself?"
The ferocious pirates drew their blades, grinning as they surrounded the tall visitor completely.
"…"
The visitor looked up, pushed his glasses, revealing a gentle smile, "Being stuck here all the time, life must be boring."
"If you want to travel, where would you like to go?"
...
"Hakumai"
On the desolate wasteland, a large military factory, incessantly roaring even in the deep night.
"It's really lively."
Marco had his hands in his pockets, standing before the factory gates, watching the busy guards hustle about, a slight smile on his lips.
"Unfortunately, after tonight, this place should quiet down."
"Who goes there?!"
Noticing the intruder, several guards shouted sharply while drawing their weapons.
Marco didn't answer, just gently raised his right hand.
Buzz!
Blue flames suddenly blazed up, forming a soaring phoenix in his palm.
"Hey, hey, must be a joke..."
The guards' faces turned pale instantly, recognizing the person in front of them, "That flame... former leader of the first division of the Whitebeard Pirates, Phoenix Marco?!"
"Wrong."
Marco smiled and corrected, "A nostalgic title indeed, but it's a thing of the past. Now, I'm the seventh highest cadre of the Endgame."
Before he finished speaking.
The Phoenix flames already roared out, transforming into a rain of fire, covering the entire military factory!